So, this past week I was sick at home with a cold. Or more accurately, a feverish phlegmfest. It kicked my butt! For the better part of 5 days I didn’t do much besides sleep or stay curled up under a blanket wherever I was. It was dreadful not being able to do the things I love, and always needing sleep or a Kleenex. But it was a sharp reminder that a person needs to take time for self-care. Lately, I’ve been positively driven trying to keep up with my YouTube channel, my four websites, my day job, making art that I don’t video and doing some publishing business as well. All that plus keeping house, doing laundry, hanging with my family and looking after my mom. It’s a lot and I wasn’t keeping a good work/life balance. I knew I wasn’t, too. I’ll take a break soon, I said to myself. Well, this cold made sure of that!

So, despite having a much improved immune system than I did in previous years, I let myself get run down to the point that this nasty little cold bug took hold. And since I didn’t get the rest I needed to stay healthy, well, this cold sure made me take to my bed and rest … a lot! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about all the things on my plate; I am having a blast doing all this stuff and I’m really enjoying the learning curves and the creative outlets. Being one of those balanced-brain types, I’m equally at home as a creative as I am over in ‘logic land’. But even though I’ve been enjoying my busyness, this was a clear reminder that late nights, early mornings and questionable food choices will eventually lead to being sidelined with a cold bug or other sickness. I hope I’ve learned my lesson ( I haven’t done any art or writing for nearly a week!) and will go on to practice more moderation in life. Sometimes it sucks not being Superwoman, lol!

Today’s takeaway – find things you love to do and do them, but remember to practice proper self-care by getting rest, eating well and taking time to unwind. Have a happy weekend folks!

Very early Thursday morning, I learned that Angela O’Neil, the woman who had lived at the farm next door all the years I was growing up in the hamlet of Dover Centre, had passed away. I was greatly saddened to read this. Angela was a lovely woman, who was a ‘second mother’ to many of the kids who lived in Dover Centre, on top of being a mom to 13 of her own children. The O’Neil farm was a place that was often bustling with activity what with all the kids coming and going!

Angela was kind and always had a smile on her face. She baked cakes with money in them for her kids’ birthdays and I loved getting invited over to share in both the festivities and in that cake full of wax paper wrapped coins. Sometimes, I would get invited to tag along for a drive into Chatham, the car being at capacity for passengers with all the kids who came, too. My mom didn’t drive, so it was a welcome change to get away from the ‘same old, same old’ of downtown Dover Centre. From Mrs. O’Neil, I learned that you could fry bologna (yum!) and also received instruction on how to stop a nosebleed after banging my face off her front porch railing, doing something silly, I’m sure. I also learned that laundry for 8 or 9 people is a never ending chore! She let us plink on the piano and never said anything, even though some of us had no clue what we were doing; the noise didn’t seem to bother her. Every year, she made homemade treats for Halloween. I was particularly fond of her popcorn balls. In that house, I experienced acceptance and inclusivity, as I was always welcome. This meant a lot to me because growing up, I was that awkward kid that didn’t quite fit in.

Angela was very good friends with my grandmother, Irene Ellis. It was heartwarming to see their friendship continue to blossom over the decades that they were neighbours. I may be wrong, but I thought I had heard that when the time came for each of them to move on from the hamlet, that they chose to live in the same retirement home. That made me smile. These days, people seem to drift in and out of friendships, but theirs stood the test of time.

I haven’t lived in Dover Centre for over 25 years. When I drive through it now, I’ve noticed that much has changed, but the memories of all the years I spent there are still clear in my mind. The O’Neil house back in the day was busy and noisy at times, but more importantly, it was filled with love and governed by a woman whose heart was big enough to care for all the kids who came to play over the years.

Rest in peace, Mrs. O’Neil ♥